12 Tips For Safe Overseas Business Shipments
Products should always be in good condition when being shipped. Shipping container transport is a tricky business, and damages in products may result in losses in your business. Keeping them properly stored and packed also ensures the efficiency of business transactions. This is essential if you want to keep your business growing.
Customers or business partners wouldn't want to deal with someone who doesn’t value their products. Make sure your shipments are in mint condition until they’re received. To gain the trust of people you do business with, here are 12 tips to ensure the safety of your business shipments:
1. Use Good Quality Shipping Containers
Use good quality shipping containers to ensure that the products would be safe in transit to other countries. Likewise, choosing shockproof containers would help to ensure that the products are stored in sturdy containers.
2. Use Space Fillers
Space fillers are used to keep the products in position. In addition, it prevents the item from too much movement, such as shaking.
You can use paper cuttings, Styrofoam, or fabric as space fillers. Using fillers also reduce the impact when items are subjected to shock.
3. Use Protective Packaging
Protective packaging such as bubble wraps prevents the item from being damaged. They also provide an extra layer of protection from spills and other unforeseen events.
4. Track Your Packages
Track your packages to know their progress and timeline. Be sure to check the status of the shipment. Most courier and shipment services have websites where you can monitor them.
5. Double Check Details
Make sure you input the correct details, such as the recipient's name, address, and contact number. Double-checking the details is crucial because one wrong number or letter can get your package lost.
6. Add Delivery Instructions
Add specific delivery instructions to avoid confusion. Couriers handle shipments, and your package might get caught up in the process. It's always best to add delivery instructions regarding handling the package.
7. Know Customs Rules
Different countries have different rules regarding shipments entering the country. Make sure you know about the customs regulations in the country of entry and origin.
This may be a wide range of rules such as having transparent containers, declaring proper items, and properly disclosing the value of the items.
8. Check Delivery Restrictions
Check delivery restrictions about what products are allowed and not allowed in the country of entry. Rules are not uniform from country to country. Other countries are stricter than others.
Perishable goods, plants, and flowers are not allowed to ship in some countries. This is because they might bring unwanted pests and diseases to the country of entry. Moreover, alcoholic beverages and dangerous items such as weapons may not be allowed access in some countries.
9. Insure Your Packages
Insure packages whenever possible. Expensive packages should be insured so that the courier companies would be held liable for any loss or damage to your item.
Likewise, insuring your packages relieves the burden of paying a high price if something happens to the shipment.
10. Pay Fees Ahead Of Time
Another country’s customs may ask you for an additional fee upon entry of your package. Thus, couriers give the option to let you pay customs fees ahead of time. It’s always better to pay fees ahead to save time and avoid shipment delays.
11. Book A Trusted Courier
You should book a reliable and trusted courier. Some shipping services have bad reviews, and some are better. It would be best to research and read reviews before booking a shipment service. Booking an unreliable courier would compromise and delay your shipments.
12. Verify From The Recipient
If the package tracker says that your shipment has been received, it is best to verify it from the receiver. In some cases, shipments would be marked delivered even though they aren't received yet. These are the results of system glitches that may mess up shipping services' tracking systems.
Make Sure Shipments Are Safe
A business owner should always make sure that the right recipient receives shipments at the right time. Shipments must be secured in a suitable container, properly labeled and declared, and everything is settled with the customs laws of other countries. Along with the other tips, doing so ensures that the business processes are going smoothly.
Loss and damages to shipments may lead to loss of sales and profit in the company. People wouldn’t also want to deal with companies who make many errors while transacting. Thus, making sure that your shipments are safe is one minor but crucial way to keep the business going.
